The present invention relates to an attachment element of an insert, such as a trim element, on a window, in particular a window used in a vehicle. The present invention also relates to windows using such an attachment element and the method for manufacturing the corresponding window.
Throughout this document, the expression “insert” refers to an accessory of the window, in particular an elongated accessory; it does not refer to a vehicle bodywork element.
It is known that to aesthetically improve certain windows, in particular windows used in the motor vehicle sector, trim elements are used, commonly comprising profiles that are clipped onto clips that are attached to a profiled bead, made for example of a soft polymer, which is overmolded onto each window, in particular around the edge of the latter.
An intermediate attachment device of the type described above is known from international application WO 2007/003823.
According to this document, the upstream cooperating part includes at least one protruding male element or one recessed female element, this element cooperating respectively with a corresponding recessed female element or a protruding male element formed in the profiled bead, said recessed female element having inside dimensions at least partially smaller than the outside dimensions of said protruding male element.
This results in tenon-mortise cooperation, generating a friction effect between at least some of the surfaces of the elements.
A significant advantage of this device over the existing device lies in the reliability of the attachment system: it enables the trim profile to be held reliably, including under extreme conditions, in particular vibration.
However, this system complicates the design of the profiled bead and requires the design of a specific profiled bead that has specific male or female zones.
Furthermore, this system is not entirely satisfactory if the insert has a complex shape.
Indeed, with this system and with other systems in the prior art, it is possible to clip on an insert extending along one or two edges of the window, but it is very difficult to clip on an insert extending along at least three edges of the window.
The prior art, specifically patent application DE 10 2005 054 721, includes a system for attaching an insert using an attachment element having two different heads that pass through the profiled bead, each one holding, along the width thereof, a retention flange of the insert.
This system is noteworthy in that the width of the attachment element measured at the heads thereof is greater than the width of the hole in the profiled bead; this width of the attachment element measured at the heads thereof must be forced through the hole, exploiting the flexibility of the body of one of the heads.
This system is not sufficiently reliable because it relies on two contradictory features: the distance between the extremities of the two heads along the width thereof (i.e. the width of the attachment element at the level of the heads thereof) must be large enough to best hold the retaining flanges, but this distance must not be so large as to enable both heads to pass through the width of the hole in the profiled bead.
If the width of the attachment element measured at the heads thereof is large, the insert will be well held, but it will be very difficult to remove the attachment element; conversely, if the width of the attachment element measured at the heads thereof is small, it is easy to remove the attachment element, but the insert will not be sufficiently well held.